Bach Interpretation

John Butt

This study is a comprehensive assessment of J. S. Bach’s use of articulation marks (i.e. slurs and dots) in the large body of primary sources. Dr Butt analyses the role of such markings within the compositional process, how they relate to the norms of articulation of the period, and how they might assist us in a deeper understanding and evaluation of Bach’s style. With its extensive catalogue of the most common slurring patterns based on a study of over 100 concerted vocal works, this book is invaluable both for performers on all baroque instruments, and for scholars with an interest in Bach’s style and source studies. It also contributes to our perception of Bach’s position in music history: the purpose of music in the Lutheran Germany of Bach’s time and its rhetorical power: the close relationship between composer and performer within the context of ‘practical’ music: and the functions and development of notation.

Bibliographic Details

Contents

• List of plates
• Preface
• List of abbreviations
• Introduction
• Part I. Background to Articulation in the Performance Practice of Bachs Era: 1. The primacy of singing
• 2. Articulation marks in string playing
• 3. Articulation marks in wind playing
• 4. Articulation marks in keyboard playing
• 5. Articulation marks and rhythmic inequality
• Part II. The Principles of Bachs Notated Articulation: A Study of the Scores and Parts of the Concerted Vocal Works: 6. Articulation marks within the compositional and notational procedure
• 7. Principal articulation patterns in the instrumental parts of vocal works
• 8. Fundamentals of Bachs notated articulation
• Part III. Bachs Refined Articulation - The Instrumental Works: 9. Bachs role in the preparation of printed sources 10. Articulation marks in fair copies of works for instrumental ensemble
• 11. Bachs keyboard articulation and the development of the keyboard idiom
• 12. Bach and modern articulation: slurs as phrase marks
• 13. Articulation marks in analysis and interpretation
• Conclusion
• Appendixes
• Notes
• References
• Index of BMV works
• Index of names.